Fastener



E. KERNr 2,141,792

FASTENER Filed Oct. 22, 1936 In/ri or'.

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Patented Dec. 27, 1938 UNITED STATES FASTENER Emil Kern, Long Island City, N. Y., assignor to Acco Products, In'c., a corporation of New York Application October 22, 1936, Serial- No. 106,940l

12 Clainls.v

The invention relates to improvements in paper fasteners and more particularly to that type of fastener which is adapted to be attached to a le folder or backing sheet and which includes spaced apart readily detachable prongs adapted to be extended through similarily spaced openings in relatively thin or thick sheaves of paper, and a compressor adapted to lengage the prongs, when the latter are bent thereover, to secure a sheaf in said file folder.

Such file folders have heretofore been provided with a base element having integral or detachable prongs extending from each end which element either was permanently attached to the folder or detachably secured thereto by suitable base engaging means carried on the folder. However, due to the demand for fasteners having projecting prongs positioned in various spaced apart positions and for bases having prongs of various lengths to meet the requirements of les of difierent thicknesses, it has been necessary to manufacture and stock large quantities of fasteners of various dimensions. Other fasteners have been produced wherein the prongs are adjustably attached to an extremely long base or body member for adapting the fastener to les having prong apertures spaced apart at different predetermined distances. This latter type of base is extremely objectionable because of the excessive length of the base or body element when the prongs are at their innermost position of adjustment.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a paper fastener having separate detachable prongs associated with novel mounting elements for readily securing said prongs at any predetermined spaced apart relation on the file folder.

Another object is to provide novel co-acting means on the prongs and on the mounting elements to insure retention of said prongs in place.

Another object is to provide novel means for retaining detachable prongs ona file folder which readily adapts the prongs for adjustment toincrease or decrease thev effective length thereof, thereby adapting the file folder for retaining a thin or an extremely thick sheaf of papers.

Another object is to provide a fastener of the character described which does not materially increase the thickness of the file.

Another object is to provide a novel variable capacity fastener for le folders which is inexpensive to manufacture, simple to assemble, easy to adjust and positive in operation.

The foregoing and such other objects of the invention as will appear hereinafter as the de- (Cl. 12S-25) scription proceeds will be more readily understood from a perusal of the following specication, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l isa plan view of a portion of a le folder showing the prongs in the position assumed prior to bending them substantially vertical for use;

Fig. 2 is a plan viewof a portion of a file folder having detachable prongs attached thereto, showing modifications in structure and mounting.

Fig. 3 is a plan View similar to that illustrated in Fig. 2, showing another modification.

Fig. 4 is a. transverse sectionalA View taken substantially on line 4--4 of` Fig. 3, showing the prong bent.

Referring particularly to Fig. l, the fastener base elements, indicated generally at ll, constituting one embodiment of the invention, are shown attached to the back sheet l2 of a le folder. Ordinarily the various sheets of paper to be bound in the le fold'er are provided with spaced apart openings to receive similarily spaced apart bendable prongs it which may be bent down over the tcp of the papers and.- secured in bent position in any suitable manner.

The attached end portions of the prongs l@ are held tothe back sheet.. as shown, bysuitable mounting. elements 2l each of which preferably consists of a substantially rectangular sheet of stiffr material formed with an intermediate taperedY rib or bridge-like portion 22 and having, at each end of each of its marginal shoe portions 23, a tang 213v which is adapted to be impaled through the back sheet i2 and clinched. The intermediate elevated bridge-like portion 22 reinforces the mounting element and provides an open ended tapered channel 25 in the bottom face of` said element to receive one prong i6.

In assembly, the mounting elements 2| are securely attached. to the back sheet and the prongs I6 are then inserted one through each channel 25. Sliding movement of the prongs along the respective channels 25 is limited in one direction preferably by slitting and flaring the attached end of each prong, as at 2G. The projecting end portion. of each prong then is bent substantially at right angles to the back sheet l2 against the opposed end of the respective mounting elements whereby saidl prongs are firmly held against sliding displacement. Inasmuch as the channels 25 are tapered substantially the same amount as the taper of the prong ends, the side walls 2'! of said channels prevent lateral shifting or twisting of the prongs thus maintaining them substantially parallel to each other for easy insertion through the openings in the sheaf of papers'.

It is obvious that the mounting elements may be suitably positioned on the back sheet to position the bent up substantially vertical portions of the prongs I6 in any desired spaced relation for insertion through predetermined spaced openings in the sheaf and that it is, therefore, unnecessary to manufacture or stock a complete line of base members of various lengths, it being necessary only to carry a stock of compressors of various sizes.

The modied forms shown in Figs. 2 and 3 are substantially like that form previously described and each is adapted for use for binding the papers in a sheaf, and like numbers, therefore, are used to designate similar parts.

The prongs I6c shown in Fig. 2 preferably are each provided with an upwardly extending projection 32 which, when the prongs are in secured position, are adapted to engage in openings 33 in the intermediate bridge-like portions 22c of the respective mounting elements 2|C.V To facilitate insertion of the prongs llic the intermediate bridge-like portions preferably are slit, as at 34,

to permit flexing upwardly of the adjacent portions of said elements during the travel of the projections 32 into the respective openings 33.

In Figs. 3 and 4 each mounting element 2 ld has a depressed detent projection 35 preferably located substantially centrally on the intermediate bridge-like portion 22d for engagement in any one of a plurality of holes 36 in the respective prong iSd. Accordingly, this type of prong may be adjusted in length to adapt it to files of Various thicknesses and said prong is securely held against longitudinal displacement or lateral shiftmg.

Although several embodiments of the invention have been described in detail it is tobe understood that the description thereof is illustrativeV rather than restrictive as many details may be modified or changed without departing from the spirit of the invention or theescope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a folder, a back sheet, a mounting element secured to said sheet, a channel in the bottom face of said element, a separable prong inserted through said channel and adapted to be bent over against one end of said element, and means on said prong and in said channel coactf ing to retain said prong in position.

2. A mounting element adapted to detachably secure a paper fastener prong to a le folder comprising, a substantially rectangular sheet of material having a channel formed in its bottom face to receive said prong, said channel being substantially of the samewidth as said prong to prevent lateral shifting of the latten securing tangs on said element, and means in said channel adapted to co-operate with said prong to prevent inadvertent removal of said prong.

3. In a folder, a back sheet, a mounting element secured to said sheet, a bridge-like portion in said element, a separable prong-inserted beheath said bridge-like portion, said bridge-like portion having an opening, and a projection on one end of said prongY engaged in said opening to prevent inadvertent removal of the prong.

4. In a folder, a back sheet, a mounting element secured to said sheet, a bridge-like portion in said element,l a separable prong inserted beneath said bridge-like portion, said bridge-like portion having a slotted opening, and a projection on one end of said prong engaged in said opening to prevent inadvertent removal of the DI'Ollg.

5. A mounting element for a paper fastener prong comprising, a substantially rectangular body, abridge-like portion formed in said body having an opening, and securing tangs on said body.

6. In a folder, a back sheet, a mounting element secured to said sheet, a bridge-like portion in said element, a separable prong inserted beneath said bridge-like portion, and means in said bridge-like portion and on said prong engaged to prevent inadvertent removal of said prong.

7. A mountingelement adapted to detachably secure a paper fastener prong to a file folder comprising, a substantially rectangular sheet of material having an intermediate bridge-like portion to embrace a prong insertable therebeneath, securing tangs on said element, and means formed in said bridge-like portion adapted to coact with means on the prong to prevent inadvertent removal of said prong.

8. A mounting element adapted to detachably secure a paper fastener prong to a le folder comprising, a substantially rectangular sheet of material having an intermediate bridge-like portion to embrace a prong insertable therebeneath, securing tangs on said element, and means formed in said bridge-like portion adapted to frictionally engage means on the prong to prevent inadvertent removal of said prong.

9. In a folder, a back sheet, a mounting element secured to said sheet, a bridge-like portion in said element, a separable prong inserted beneath said bridge-like portion, said prong having spaced openings therein, and means in said bridge-like portion to co-operate with said openings to retain the prong in any one of a plurality of positions.

10. A mounting element for a paper fastener prong comprising, a substantially rectangular body, a bridge-like portion formed in said body having substantially vertical side Walls, said side Walls being inclined longitudinally toward each other, and means to secure said element to a backing sheet.

11. In a folder, a back sheet, a mounting element secured to said sheet, a bridge-like portion in said element having substantially vertical side walls, said Walls being inclined longitudinally towards each other to provide a tapered channel on the under side of said bridge-like portion, a separable prong inserted in said channel, and a flared end on said prong to co-act with the tapered channel to limit movement of said prong in one direction.

12. In a folder, a back sheet, a channelled mounting element on said back sheet, said channel being tapered, and a separable prong inserted in said channel, said prong having a flared end to co-act with said tapered channel.

EMIL KERN. 

